Archival

Data that is going to be deleted by isginf on the file server will be archived on a separate file server. The archived copy will be kept for a given amount of time and is then deleted.

Retention Period

By default archived data is kept for 180 days. Larger retention times can be requested but are subject to the available space on the archive server.

Limitations

Sockets and pipes cannot be archived.

Home Directories

For user home directories of user accounts that are deleted archival is always done automatically for the following reasons:

• As a safety measure in case the user account should not have been deleted.
• The archived copy is also consistent and final as opposed to the last successful backup or snapshot after which the data may have still be modified.

Archived home directories can be restored on request.

Process

Home directories are deleted when a user account is removed from an organizational unit (i.e., group, institute or service) and the home directory was on a file server maintained by isginf (typically iiStore). After a user account is removed the following happens:

1. On the file server the home directory is moved into a designated junk folder. This is typically done by an automated job over night for home directories of users that were deleted. The data is not accessible anymore from that time on.
2. The data remains in the junk folder for a day. This gives the administrators and affected users time to note any accidental or unintended deletion. During this day the data can be simply moved back to the original location. For user home directories this is done automatically if the deleted user account is recreated.
3. After one day the data is compressed and copied to a separate archive server and deleted from the junk folder.

Restore

Please contact support@inf.ethz.ch if you need to restore archived data.